Monthly Archives: February 2014

Would It Kill You to Talk for an Hour About DEATH? – Feb 27

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Would It Kill You to Talk for an Hour About DEATH?
 
Socratic Conversation with Ron Gross

Gottesman Libraries, Teachers College

525 West 120th St., 2nd Floor Conversation Area

(bet. Broadway and Amsterdam Ave.  North side of 120th Street.)
               (#1 train to 116th St.)
 
Thursday, Feb. 27th,  4:00 sharp – 5:15 pm

Please bring a photo ID required for entry to the building.
There will be a display of relevant books.
Light refreshments will be available.
      Coffee and other beverages available downstairs as you enter the building.
We are learning to talk about death more freely, frankly —  and life-affirmingly!    Come join the movement to demystify this taboo subject.   It can be a significant step in learning how to live.
 
Throughout the country, Americans are attending Death Cafes, Death Dinners, and Death Salons (featured on the front page of  The New York Times).   A Showtime documentary series, Time of Death, focuses on “real people face to face with their own mortality.”  A new book, The Death Class: A True Story About Life, reports that there’s a 3-year waiting list to enroll in this offering at  Kean University.
 
Join us to talk about this traditionally taboo topic, in healthy terms. 
 
Among the topics we’ll discuss:
 
** Does your awareness of your mortality affect the way you live
     your life?   Should it?    How?
 
** What is one of your favorite novels, movies, TV shows, plays,
     musical works, or other art that deals with Death?
 
** Do you feel that you’ve thought enough about mortality, to sort    
     out your ideas and feelings in ways that are satisfying to you?
 
** What happens after death?  Do you feel that you are still  
     somehow in contact with some people you have lost?
 
** Do you have any strong convictions about what you would like 
to happen at the end of your life?  Should we have The Pill?

VALENTINE’S DAY REACH-OUT THAT GOES BEYOND CHOCOLATES!

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VALENTINE’S DAY REACH-OUT THAT GOES BEYOND CHOCOLATES!

Please join us on Valentine’s Day, Friday, February 14th, by taking a few minutes anytime during the day, to reach out to someone you care about – in person or by phone, e-mail, text, or Skype. (It’s a way to express love and caring that’s better than a greeting card or chocolates!)

We got the idea from our colleagues in the U.K., where a million people participated in such one-to-one conversations on Feb. 6th, to challenge the stigma and discrimination around this subject. As the Brits say: We want to get more people talking about mental health than ever before. And we need your help to get there! We’d love you to be a part of the big conversation. Their beautiful website is:
http://www.time-to-change.org.uk, where you’ll find brief video vignettes of people doing this, how-to suggestions to assure your success, and answers to any questions you might have. Spending a few minutes there is an Instant Boost to your Emotional Intelligence!

Of course, mental health conditions often require professional care by expert, dedicated professionals — and one of our objectives is to make such care more available.

But all of us can contribute significantly by raising awareness, reducing the stigma — and offering, when it’s wanted, simple friendship, listening, caring, and empathy.

So please join us on Valentine’s Day by making meaningful contact with someone who would welcome your interest.

Of course we’d love to hear from you about your experience in this experiment in caring.

RELATIONSHIPS: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly – Feb 12

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RELATIONSHIPS:  The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

Join us for food, drinks, and conversation.
Bring a question on relationships and your collective wisdom.
Short social before and in between rounds.
–Greet old friends and meet new ones.

RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/Conversations-New-York/events/155823962/

6:30   Social
7:00   Dinner and conversation
8:15   Social
8:45   Round 2 at a different table
9:45+ Closing statements.  Continue the conversation on your own.

Attire: Dress to impress.

Each conversationalist is encouraged to propose a question related to relationships.  Each table will determined the question for discussion by popular vote.  (Last year, “I found the questions just as interesting as the conversation.”)

The Statler Bar and Grill is reserving their very nice private dining room for us but they adding a 20% gratuity.   Separate checks available on request.  http://www.statlergrill.com/

Upcoming:
March – “Risk-taking”
April – “What makes your partner feel special?”
May – “Language of a Broken Heart”

About the Moderator:   Ron Gross is the founder of “Conversations New York.” He’s  been organizing exciting, important CONVERSATIONS for 20 years, and currently holds them regularly on the Columbia University campus and elsewhere through the city. He’s the author of 23 books on LIFELONG LEARNING.  He was recently honored for lifetime achievement in the field by the International Society for Self-Directed Learning. The late Buckminster Fuller said of Ron’s work: “If humanity is to pass safely through its present crisis on earth, it will be because a majority of individuals are now doing their own thinking. Ronald Gross’ work has pioneered in improving the climate for such thinking in the United States.”

CONVERSATIONS NEW YORK

Imagine…
Hundreds of New Yorkers coming together in small groups of neighbors and fellow citizens to discuss topics of intensive interest…
Hosted at no cost and at convenient locations and times…
Aided by simple guiding principles…
Inspired by the city’s grand tradition of robust conversation…
Our vision is to inspire, organize, publicize, facilitate and celebrate a renaissance of healthy dialogue in New York City.

How You Can Help Us Grow!

If you would like to easily add to our strength, we’d be grateful for your taking these easy steps:
1. Visit us at https://conversationsnewyork.com/about-cny/ to learn more about us, subscribe to our website, and spread the word.
2. Share with us your reactions, questions, and suggestions about this venture. conversationsnewyork@gmail.com
3. ”Like” our organization on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ConversationsNewYork
4. Consider convening a Conversation yourself – our site will soon provide resources, but in the meantime just ask us.
5. Tell us about Conversations you think should be listed on our on-line calendar.  https://conversationsnewyork.com/calendar-of-conversations/
We hope you’re as excited as we are about promoting and encouraging stimulating conversations in New York City!

“The Promise of a Pencil” – Mar 20

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Presenting a CNY “TalkAbout”…

Barnes and Noble at Union Square
33 E 17th, NYC
Thursday, Mar 20, 7pm

A Lecture by Adam Braun, “The Promise of a Pencil: How Ordinary People can Accomplish Extraordinary Things.”

Pencils of Promise Guatemala May 2011

Adam Braun is the Founder of Pencils of Promise, an award-winning nonprofit organization that has built more than 150 schools across Africa, Asia and Latin America and delivered over 12 million educational hours in its first four years. PoP was founded with just $25 using Braun’s unique “For-Purpose” approach to blending nonprofit idealism with for-profit business principles. In 2012, he was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 List.

Braun began his career in finance, until he met a young boy begging on the streets and asked him what he wanted most in the world. The answer- “A pencil.” He then traveled through 50+ countries to focus on educational systems and eventually left a dream job at Bain & Company to launch Pencils of Promise.

Braun was selected as one of the first ten World Economic Forum Global Shapers and has been featured at the United Nations, Clinton Global Initiative, Google Zeitgeist, Mashable’s Innovation Index and Wired Magazine’s 2012 Smart List of 50 People Changing the World.

This is a free lecture. We will convene at a local café after the event to discuss Braun’s ideas.

http://www.meetup.com/Conversations-New-York/events/163169482/

About the Moderator:  Laurence Mailaender works in the technology industry, doing research aimed at improving wireless systems. He has a PhD in Electrical Engineering, and spent 12 years as a researcher in Bell Labs. Currently he develops advanced communication and GPS-geolocation systems for customers in various agencies of the U.S. Government.

Lecture & Talk-About: “Success in America” with Amy Chua “Tiger Mom” & Jed Rubenfeld – Feb 4

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Join “Conversations New York” (CNY) at this Lecture & Talk-About afterwards.  Amy Chua, “Tiger Mom” & Jed Rubenfeld “Success in America.”  To RSVP, learn more about the event, and find payment information, visit 92nd Street and Y:   (Attendance at the lecture is not required to participate in the conversation afterwards. )

Please RSVP at CNY meetup.  Thank you.  http://www.meetup.com/Conversations-New-York/events/161167482/

Lecture:  “Mormons have recently risen to astonishing business success. Cubans in Miami climbed from poverty to prosperity in a generation. Nigerians earn doctorates at stunningly high rates. Indian and Chinese Americans have much higher incomes than other Americans; Jews may have the highest of all. Husband-and-wife team Amy Chua (author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother) and Jed Rubenfeld—both Yale professors—discuss their new book, The Triple Package, and expose the three unlikely traits that explain the rise and fall of cultural groups in America, in a talk that could transform the way you think about success and achievement.”

Talk-About:  For those who wish to further discuss this topic after the event, CNY will host a Talk-About.  Talk-Abouts are a way to continue the conversation, find out what others thought about the event, and share perspectives.  Please find Yen (see member profile picture) after the event in the lobby if you wish to join us.  The Talk-About will be held in a coffee shop or restaurant nearby and will be free.  Yen will moderate the session, and it will be structured with questions to get the conversation going, but will lean towards free-flowing discussion.   Thank you.

Proposed Agenda 
7:30 pm  –  Meet in 92Y lobby and introductions.

9:45 pm   –  Meet again at the 92Y lobby and we will walk across the street to “Lex Restaurant” where I have reservations under the name “Yen.” 1370 Lexington Ave. (between 90th & 91st).

Introductions
Success in America – What are the common traits?

About the Moderator:  Yen is a naturalize American citizen.  He was born in Taiwan, Republic of China, but came to the US as an Argentinian citizen.  While growing up, he saw his parents build several small businesses with little to no formal education.  Yen is a parent of two sons and a graduate of the US Air Force Academy with a BS in Applied Physics but worked mainly in aviation and in national crisis response as a supervisor, trainer, and examiner in the public and private sectors.  Currently, he is a manager at Lyhun Realty

About the Founder:  Ron Gross is the founder of “Conversations New York.” He’s been organizing exciting, important CONVERSATIONS for 20 years, and currently holds them regularly on the Columbia University campus and elsewhere through the city. He’s the author of 23 books on LIFELONG LEARNING. He was recently honored for lifetime achievement in the field by the International Society for Self-Directed Learning. The late Buckminster Fuller said of Ron’s work: “If humanity is to pass safely through its present crisis on earth, it will be because a majority of individuals are now doing their own thinking. Ronald Gross’ work has pioneered in improving the climate for such thinking in the United States.”